OBJECTIVE: Growing evidence indicates that innate immunity, including toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling, plays a role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This may also apply in the case of TLR-8, which has recently been shown to reverse the immunosuppressive function of regulatory T cells. However, the role of TLR-8 in IBD is currently unknown, and therefore we investigated the expression of TLR-8 and its natural antagonist, Tollip, in normal and inflamed human gut, and examined whether the receptor is functionally active. METHODS: TLR-8 and Tollip mRNA expression were measured in colonic epithelial cells (CEC) and lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMNC) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. TLR-8 protein expression was visualized in whole biopsy specimens by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Cellular localization of TLR-8 protein was assessed by immuno-electron microscopy. IL-8 secretion was measured by ELISA after stimulation with TLR-8 ligand. RESULTS: TLR-8 mRNA and protein expression were substantially up-regulated in CEC from inflamed mucosa from patients with ulcerative colitis (approximately 350-fold, p<0.01) and Crohn's disease (approximately 45-fold, p<0.05) compared to controls. TLR-8 proteins resided on the luminal surface membrane and in intracellular organelles. Tollip was not increased in CEC from IBD patients. CEC from normal mucosa responded to TLR-8 stimulation by secreting IL-8. TLR-8 was expressed only on the mRNA level in LPMNC with no differences between IBD patients and controls. CONCLUSION: Expression of TLR-8, but not Tollip, is highly up-regulated in the colonic epithelium from patients with active IBD. Since the receptor is functionally active, our data suggest that TLR-8 signalling is important in the pathogenesis of IBD.